eyes

ILLUMINATE




necklace - Mia Arcenas, Kobi skirt - Gold Dot, shoes- Zara, bag- Michael Kors, sunglasses- Celine, top- Topshop


This heat wave certainly hasn't stopped me from donning all-black outfits! Choosing the most breathable fabric is the key to battling the humidity since black pretty much absorbs all the heat from the sun. I know my love for this color (or lack thereof) is evident throughout this entire blog, but I just can't seem to be more adventurous on most days because, let's face it, black's easy and is very forgiving especially on days when you don't feel like you look your best.  I also seem to suffer from piling on too many textures, but I guess that's the thing about having a wardrobe that's leaning to monochromes- it's a grab-and-go thing when you never plan and closet shuffle is what you resort to each morning. 

These days I've been successfully mixing and matching my older closet staples to put together more decent ensembles, since my new job is requiring me to dress a bit more put-together. Yes, I've finally decided to focus on Interior Design and I've recently joined a new firm. I badly need experience in this field and I'm really happy that I'm getting to focus on one thing right now! It's also the reason why there's a scarcity of entries on this side of the web, and I haven't been compensating for it on my Instagram or Twitter either. I've adjusted quite a bit and it's really fun to get immersed in something that I truly am passionate about. 

Apart from almost falling into a haphazard way of dressing each day, these past few months I've managed to cut back on the gunk that I pile on to my face. Bid falsies goodbye thanks to lash growth serums (Rapidlash) and maintaining it with Argan Oil, said goodbye to all forms of eye makeup except mascara, stopped piling on bronzer and I only put on a bit of tinted moisturizer before some powder. I really like being able to see my skin and it's not practical to be layering on too many things on your face when you know it's just going to melt off because of the heat.



To brighten up my eyes without them looking too fake or dead (an effect of some coloured contacts), Sarabia Optical recently gave me a couple of pairs of their new contact lens line, Freshlook Illuminate. I've been repurchasing Freshlook Colorblends since freshman year in college (my faves are Gray and Pure Hazel) so I really trust and recommend this brand. As for their Illuminate line, it's supposedly designed for Asian eyes and it has a unique starbust pattern that blends a coloured ring into the iris. It gives a natural look that makes the eyes look bigger and prettier! Even if there's basically just a dark ring and the rest of the lens is clear, the dual-layer colour printing technology they use enhances your real eye colour and interacts with light to adapt to your eyes. They're great for when your eyes are tired and are too irritated for any form of eye makeup. They instantly light up your face!


Since they're dailies, they come in handy when you're traveling, eliminating the need for bulky contacts solution. It's also useful for when you need to go through customs and they need to see your real eye colour.

If you wear glasses or prescription contacts and hate the flat/fake look of those coloured ones, you can get a pair of Freshlook Illuminates from Sarabia Optical located at the concourse level of Powerplant Mall/Rockwell.



Here are some more iPhone snaps from the day I had these photos of myself taken... I finally got to try out the lunch buffet at Solaire's Fresh!

This was the reason why I just HAD TO eat there (I don't do buffets since I don't get my money's worth- I don't eat red meat and hate the guilt afterwards). Loooooved all the fresh seafood.

cute contemporary-retro interiors

What I changed into later that night. Another take on the Kobi skirt from Gold Dot, paired with a denim top and white pumps from Topshop.

saying goodbye to falsies




I think it's about time for me to write a whole post about my lashes. 

I always get asked whether I'm wearing falsies or not. It's gotten to a point wherein even my guy friends step closer to actually touch (and almost poke) my lashes. There are days when I do wear party lashes but lately I can't be bothered to spend too much time on my makeup, even when I'm attending an event that's late at night. Lash glue can also be bothersome to contact lens wearers like me, since I can blink and glue can transfer to my lenses when it hasn't dried yet. That means I have to wash them thoroughly in the middle of my makeup ritual, or worse, I have to get a new pair if they've already dried up since it can coat the lenses and make everything a blurry mess.

(without any trace of eye makeup, just some tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier)

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I discovered RapidLash last December 2011 during my trip to Hong Kong. I've heard about other lash growth serums but they've always been too pricey for me. A mandatory trip to Sasa (it's like their Watson's in Hong Kong) caused me to grab 2 tubes out of impulse since my mom was paying for my beauty loot. I Googled some before and after photos and the results looked impressive. As with any beauty product I thought I'd have to wait about a month to see results.

Two weeks into using the product I noticed that my lashes were thicker/fuller. Fast forward two months and I'm already seeing dramatic results, and that's when people started noticing my lashes. I only apply them at night and I make sure to coat my lashes after applying it to the roots. I also place them on the bald spots of my brows.

photos WITHOUT eye makeup & mascara:
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Compared to other Asian girls I think my lashes are relatively longer, but the strands are quite thin since I always wear mascara and sometimes a few strands get pulled out because of the tackiness of the glue. When you're coming home from a night out the last thing you're looking forward to is that tedious process of removing every trace of product on your face, especially if you use waterproof makeup. No matter how careful I am, some lashes get sacrificed and I used to just shrug it off since I could always resort to thick, fake lashes. 

I've tried using 2 other lash growth serums when I ran out of RapidLash (none of our stores carry them in Manila), but those nasty formulas only left my eyes teary and red after every application. They didn't make my lashes longer or thicker. I had to endure three months of those random brands until I decided to ask my friends from America purchase new tubes online so they could bring them back for me. I'm down to my last tube but I'm expecting new supplies after Christmas. My mom used RapidLash for about 4 months, too. She has the shortest lashes I've ever seen but RL really worked for her as well. She's just too lazy to stay with it so she's given me all of her tubes. More for me, yay! 

with 2 coats of Revlon's GrowLuscious mascara:
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Since my first RapidLash purchase I've also stuck to Revlon's GrowLuscious mascara. People can't confirm the effectivity of their lash growth benefits but it does a great job in plumping up and lengthening my lashes. It's my new favorite drugstore mascara since I hate waterproof formulas and Revlon carries non-waterproof versions of this in blackest black. I can also feel that it strengthens my lashes. My friends were also impressed with this mascara and they've all bought the same one after my recommendation. 

I am hoping that our stores will start carrying RapidLash tubes soon. I've found local resellers online but I don't want to pay the extra Php 500 for each tube, plus I don't want to end up buying fake formulas! I like that it's not the priciest one in the market but it really works. If you have a friend or relative who's visiting Hong Kong or America, let them buy you at least two tubes! Thicker lashes really open up your eyes, and I love that I don't have to glue on false lashes now. Don't bother telling me to get extensions- those are the worst. I've seen my friends' lids going bald cos their real lashes end up falling off with the extensions! Opt for the lash serums and thank me later. :) 

face: Laura Mercier oil-free tinted moisturizer + Chanel's Purete Mat pressed powder

brows: K-Palette 24 Hour Real Lasting Eyebrow Liner + MAC eyeshadow in Espresso + MAC brow set in Beguile 

eyes:  black gel liner from MAC + Revlon's Grow Luscious mascara

lips: Russian Red by MAC 

Makeup review: MaxFactor's Masterpiece Glide & Define liquid eyeliner


[source: Amazon]


MF's Glide&Define is being sold at Php 550.00 or $11.40

They ran out of black so I opted for SMOKE which is like a dark slate/blue-grey tone. 

I like it cos the color is more subtle compared to black which usually makes me look more... evil.

The felt tip glides on really smoothly, application is easy and it's small/handy (3" only) so it's not hard to work with. The liquid has strong pigments so you don't have to keep piling it on to create a stronger colour. 

I'm only worried about the staying power and how long one tube will last (since it's small). The sales associate warned me about the cover as well- I have to screw it on tightly cos it dries out easily. 

So far this lands on the 2nd spot of my liquid liners list. The first spot still belongs to Shiseido's Fine Eyeliner:

Refillable, HEAVY strong pigments, really smooth glide and easier to draw fine lines with. 
$28 at Sephora, refills are for $14. 

And the third spot belongs to the Face Shop's Simple Draw liquid eye liner. 
($10.40 or Php 500+)


The quality of the ink's great and the pen is easy to grip, but the problem with this one is that one pen lasts only a week if you use it everyday. SAD.